For Georgians hoping for an early spring, the groundhog had bad news. General Beauregard Lee saw his shadow this morning, signaling six more weeks of winter for the Peach State.
📅 What’s Happening: The annual Groundhog Day tradition drew spectators eager to see whether Lee would declare winter’s end or its extension. This year, the forecast leans toward more chilly days ahead.
🌡️ Why It Matters: With Georgia’s unpredictable weather, Lee’s prediction could mean anything from more frost to surprise warm spells. While some are bracing for more cold, others are skeptical, pointing out that the groundhog’s accuracy is up for debate.
📜 In Context: General Beauregard Lee has long been Georgia’s furry forecaster, offering a Southern take on the well-known Groundhog Day tradition. While his predictions are more folklore than science, the event brings a bit of fun to an otherwise dreary winter stretch.
Lee’s prediction of a longer winter goes against meteorologists who are forecasting record high temperatures for the first part of February.
🌎 Elsewhere: Punxsutawney Phil also made his forecast in Pennsylvania, and groundhogs across the country are casting their own weather predictions. Whether they all agree is anyone’s guess. Punxsutawnee Phil also saw his shadow.
💡 What’s Next: If Lee is correct, Georgians should keep their winter coats handy for a few more weeks. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Georgia weather tends to follow its own rules—groundhog or not.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.